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Barry Horowitz for WWE Hall of Fame

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With the long overdue induction of Bruno Sammartino this year, speculation and prognostication has turned to some of the other long overdue inductions. While legends like Randy Savage, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, and others are all more than deserving of enshrinement, I feel like there is a class of wrestler, the cream of which are also deserving of honor...The Jobber.

If we acknowledge wrestling for the art form that it truly is, then we must also recognize that for one man to win, another must agree to lose. Arguably the single most important aspect of wrestling is the art of putting somebody over.

The jobber was given any number of tasks with a single instruction: "Make him look like a million backs." Sometimes the assignment was a new talent, often a green guy with a great body who didn't know what he was doing, which made him dangerous, both to his opponent and his box office potential. Sometimes the assignment was a midcard talent who the promotion was getting ready to move up and work with or become champ. Sometimes the assignment was a main event talent, fresh off a big, high profile loss, who needed to begin being rebuilt. Every type of style in the ring needed to be accommodated and any number of finishers needed to be taken, all requiring top notch skill, athleticism, and timing.

Having been introduced to wrestling in the mid-80's, the jobbers were a weekly feature facing and losing to all of my favorites, ensuring they looked like a million bucks, getting them ready to draw money with whomever they were paired on the circuit. The same faces were on TV every week, so why are so many nameless and faceless in my memory...except names and faces like Barry Horowitz, George South, Mario Mancini, Rocky King, The Conquistadors, The Mulkey Brothers, and many other I'm sure you will remember.

These men were all very good at doing jobs, so much so that 30 years after the fact, I still remember their names and faces and although I can't recall many classic matches, I can run off a list of Hall of Fame wrestlers, wrestlers who might never have managed to impress a Vince McMahon or Jim Crockett or Pat Patterson or Dusty Rhodes, impressed them enough to be given wins on bigger names, moving up the card, until eventually winning a title, becoming a box office draw, having great matches and a legendary career. The jobbers were once the very foundation upon which every legend was built.

So my proposal is that the WWE create an "Enhancement Talent" category, creating a wing to recognize the best jobbers of all time. My first inductions would be Barry Horowitz and George South and I would ask some legend with whom they worked to induct them and explain what a thankless job these guys did and how great they were at doing it, then let them have a few minutes to say a few words. They can be the cold opener before the tapes start running on the main show. Ultimately however they wish to handle their inductions, if WWE is to have a true Hall of Fame to recognize outstanding contributors to the industry, then it will always be incomplete with out a wing honoring those who laid the foundation for the Sammartinos, Funks, Races, Flairs, Rhodes, and Hogans...The Jobbers.
 
I dont see a problem with this except for the fact that it means Vince would really have to pull back kayfabe...But precedent has been set as they have inducted Johnny Rodz who was a jobber in his day. And then you have wrestlers like Koko and Hacksaw who although bigger elsewhere were usually treated as little more than jobbers to the stars in the WWF
 
I can see both sides here.

On one hand, hardcore wrestling fans are pissed off that people like Donald Trump or Pete Rose or Mike Tyson are inducted. While their names are well known in circles outside of pro wrestling, their general contributions to wrestling as a whole certainly doesn't seem "hall of fame worthy".

At the same time, an argument can be made in regards to the presence of such celebrities. While guys like Trump or Mike Tyson aren't "wrestling guys" themselves, they've been part of some significant and memorable moments in the history of WWE. For instance, the confrontation between Austin & Tyson back in the day in which Austin flips Tyson off and a brawl ensues is one of the most memorable moments of the Attitude Era. People will also always remember Donald Trump helping to hold Vince McMahon down while he, simultaneously, shaved his head in front of millions of viewers.

As much as some might not like it, those two single moments are far, FAR more memorable than anything Barry Horowitz ever remotely came close to. If you put Horowitz into the WWE Hall of Fame, a guy who never amounted to anything more than a jobber, then you truly open the floodgates for all sorts of other, unremarkable careers. While it's true that Johnny Rodz was a jobber, he was a jobber who was there almost from the very beginning of the WWWF. He's also a well known trainer, having trained some well known names like Bully Ray, Devon & Taz.

I know it doesn't really seem fair in the grand scheme of things that EVERYONE isn't recognized. I can also understand arguments for why celebrities should or shouldn't be in the HOF as both sides of the argument have good points. However, Horowitz was always a straight up jobber and if he's inducted into the HOF, then you might as well go ahead and induct guys like Paul Roma, Jim Powers, Salvatore Sincere and Scott Casey. When EVERYONE gets inducted, whether they've made any sort of meaningful impact in WWE or wrestling as a whole, or not; then it truly does become watered down.
 
think jobbers should be in the hall of fame.they were the one who made the "talent" look good.Barry Horowitz,Dewayne Gill aka Gillberg(still the best spoof character ever) Reno Riggins and "Iron" Mike Sharpe.they were the ones who lined up the guys with cameras for the wrestling money shot.they made the cheesy ass moves look way more devistating.
 
Yeah...I'm not arguing "everybody" is a hall of famer and I've not seen anybody else make the case either.

There were literally thousands of Jobbers in wrestling history and there are a select few worthy of recognition, like those I've mentioned and surely a few others. If we recognize that it's all fake, then jobbers played a part in making all the legends you would induct. See the point is Hogan, Flair, or whoever never won anything, a promoter tabbed them and somebody else did the honors to make them Supertars.

Now I understand if you disagree with jobbers being the foundation of legends and believe the hall should be reserved for talents that were tabbed by promoters and made Superstars...but understand that I'm not talking about every guy whoever layed down on TV, rather I'm talking about the guys who were on TV every week and were good at what they did, making all the superstars look great...and that means not just taking a beating but making their moves look good, selling what was happening, and getting each guy ready for something bigger, guys like Horowitz and South.
 
I would not put a jobber in the Hall Of Fame. If they did that, then should put Lanny Poffo in with Randy Savage like Macho wanted! I respect the jobbers. But they don't deserve to be in over other legends who deserve to be in. Average fan's don't know these guys, they didn't draw any money, they weren't in any great matches on great shows. I respect them, but not in the hall.
 
What's wrong with being a jobber?

If the WWE Hall of Fame were based upon merit and contribution, like so many people here continue to pretend, Barry Horowitz would be a shoe-in. People here use the word 'jobber' as if its a bad thing. Why didn't the WWF release Barry Horowitz early in his tenue, and just use enhancement talent for squash matches? They used plenty of other local guys in spot roles.

The reason is that Barry Horowitz was good. He was good at making other people look good, and if you aren't a constant, John Cena-type headliner, that's the best skill set in professional wrestling to have. He performed for the WWE for ten years; there aren't many guys who end up with that kind of tenure.

But the WWE Hall of Fame isn't based on merit. It's not based on what you've done for professional wrestling, but it's based upon having some good names with grey hair to put out on the Wrestlemania entranceway. And in that? He's a take it or leave it pick. People remember him- probably better than Koko B. Ware- but announcing his name won't tickle anyone's tits. He'd look good standing next to someone who was a bigger name- and I can't think of a more fitting reward for a man who did that his entire career.
 
Rayne pretty much said it best. Horowitz was good at what he did. He was good in the ring at making people look good. He did a lot for the business, and on that he deserves to be in. It's not a name that will draw people to Wrestlemania. It's not a sexy name for induction so I am sure they are not chomping at the bit to get him in. I would not be opposed to a who's who of the jobbers wing. It could be like the celebrity wing. Each year one of the elite jobbers gets in. i was just talking about in another thread what I missed about wrestling. The answer was jobbers. They made the top guys look good on tv without having to give the big matches away every week like they do now. Jobbers were important and I think the best one should be inducted.
 
The jobbers deserve to go in as well: Guys like Steve Lombardi, Mike Sharpe, and Barry Horowitz. Again, this is a business, not a sport. You don't get into the Hall of Fame based on a won-loss record. You don't even get in based on your contribution. You get in because McMahon wants to recognize certain people. No other reason. He particularly likes to recognize guys who served the company well over their careers. A lot of those jobbers meet that standard in spades.
 
sorry it will never happen, but if it ever does my vote is for Kenny (the sod buster) Jay, for you that has never heard of him , google his name
 
Forget Barry Horowitz, Steve Lombardi is the first guy who should be inducted into the WWE HOF if going down that avenue. He has worked many gimmicks from himself, Brooklyn Brawler, Sbe Schwartz, MVP, Doink, Kim Chee and others I am sure I have missed. He has been with the company since 1984 and is still employed. Surely after a 30 year career uninterupted, Lombardi is due for recognition. Hell Vicne Seniors chauffeur is in the HOF, James Dudley so a guy who has been unwavering in his loyalty and is well known to all WWE fans, Stebe Lombardi desevres a spot, well over jobeers like Horowitz, Sharpe, Barry O, Jose Luis Riviera etc etc
 
sorry it will never happen, but if it ever does my vote is for Kenny (the sod buster) Jay, for you that has never heard of him , google his name


Well I'm not prognosticating, rather I'm stating an opinion and looking for others...so I take it you agree with the Enhancement Talent Wing and nominate Kenny Jay, Bobby Heenan's favorite jobber.
 
I approve of this post.

The art of jobbing is lost. Everyone wants to be the star; and when a "star" starts losing a lot to the higher talents people clamor that the "star" is being buried, or HH hates them, or any other multitude of excuse.

The truth is, there are still jobbers, but there are more faces to the jobbers. I'll rattle off a few: Zach Ryder, Santino, the Divas division.

Their job is three fold: to fill space, to provide a mechanism to allow the superstars to shine without hurting another superstar's image, and to provide a caesura to the main event talent. Without these things, you get what we have often on RAW: story lines that make no sense, and no action. We need the enhancers in order to appreciate the big show (no pun...ok, pun intended). Without lows, the highs just don't pop and we have gotten bored.

Also...it would be nice to get rid of the constant replays and recaps of what JUST happened the last match.

I would vote for Barry. He was great. He was cocky for no reason (his pat on the back was pure gold), and actually once held the IC belt; which was awesome.
 
Forget Barry Horowitz, Steve Lombardi is the first guy who should be inducted into the WWE HOF if going down that avenue. He has worked many gimmicks from himself, Brooklyn Brawler, Sbe Schwartz, MVP, Doink, Kim Chee and others I am sure I have missed. He has been with the company since 1984 and is still employed. Surely after a 30 year career uninterupted, Lombardi is due for recognition. Hell Vicne Seniors chauffeur is in the HOF, James Dudley so a guy who has been unwavering in his loyalty and is well known to all WWE fans, Stebe Lombardi desevres a spot, well over jobeers like Horowitz, Sharpe, Barry O, Jose Luis Riviera etc etc
Don't forget Barry Horowitz, but I completely agree about Steve Lombardi. Barry Horowitz has better name recognition, but without a doubt Steve Lombardi was in the trenches longer. It'd be fitting to have them go in as the same class; there's always a couple of people in the HOF class that you have to google anyways.
 
A jobber In the HOF!? Are you serious? And what would they list the wrestlers "accomplishments" as?? "He lost 500 matches in his career and got paid good money to lose". That's all they could say. Just the thought of adding jobbers into the hall makes no sense at all. Might as well close the HOF if that's gonna happen.
 

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